CHAPTER 2
"Ennervate."
Cassie's eyes shot open and Quirrell looked around, trying to make Cassie look as innocent and confused as he could. His gaze finally landed on Dumbledore who was still pointing his wand at the girl.
"Professor Dumbledore. What's going on?"
"You know perfectly well what's going on!" Snape spat.
"Why have to tied me up?" Cassie asked, still looking at Dumbledore. "He's the one you should've tied up!" She tossed her head in Snape's direction. "He-."
"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"What do you mean? You know me. Cassie. Cassie Wladyslava."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Untie her, Severus."
"What?!" Snape exclaimed, looking at the headmaster as though he older man had lost his senses.
Dumbledore gave Snape a look that told him he was serious. Snape took out his own wand as he made his way to the back of the chair. Quirrell felt the tip of it against Cassie's wrists and then felt the ropes untie themselves.
"I think it would be best if you went to your house." Dumbledore said as he watched Cassie rub her wrists.
"Yes sir."
************** Snape waited until Cassie left before turning on Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, you know I never question your judgment, but-."
"Never?" Dumbledore asked, a curious glint in his eye.
Snape cleared his throat. "Why did you let her go? She's mad!"
"No. She isn't."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, headmaster."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Neither do I. Not yet anyway."
"But why did you let her go?" Snape asked, his teeth clenched, "A few drops of veritaserum would-."
"No. No, I'm afraid even a truth serum as powerful as that would not work. If what I fear is true is true."
*********** Quirrell had little idea that Snape and he were on the same wavelength. In a manner of speaking, that is. He too wondered why Dumbledore had let him, or rather Cassie go.
::Well, I fooled him once.::
He did not go back to Slytherin as Cassie had been instructed, but turned left where he should've turned right, walked up two flights of stairs, and found himself by the hospital wing.
::Perhaps I'll pay Potter a visit.::
He was just about to reach the door when.
"Hey! Cassie!"
Quirrell clenched Cassie's fists. It was that damnable Grace! But he could hear other footsteps too. There was someone else with her. He turned Cassie's body slowly.
Just as he thought: It was Grace and Wendy, another friend of Cassie's from Ravenclaw.
"What do you two want?" They heard Cassie ask, venom in her voice.
"Umm.We got our exam scores back." Grace said, now more cautiously.
Quirrell snatched the paper Grace was holding out to Cassie and stuffed it in one of her pockets.
"Aren't you even interested in-."
"NO!" Quirrell spat "Now, if you'll excuse me."
He made to push past them, but Grace stopped Cassie.
"Wait. What were you doing over here?"
"That's none of your business! Now! Get. Out. Of. My. Way!"
"No!" Grace said, defiantly. Her and Wendy now blocked Cassie's only path.
Cassie's wand was still in Snape's office, but he didn't need it. He merely raised Cassie's hand and the two girls found themselves flying backwards down the hallway. They at last hit the far wall, slid to the floor, and a moment later found them selves under a tapestry that had been hanging above them.
Wendy was the first to get free, and watched as Cassie.if that was Cassie.as she walked swiftly down another hallway and away from sight.
"I didn't want to believe you." Wendy said, almost distantly.
"Huh?" Grace said, coming out from under the tapestry.
"About Cassie. But it's true.Oh God, Grace! What's going on?"
**********
"Ennervate."
Cassie's eyes shot open and Quirrell looked around, trying to make Cassie look as innocent and confused as he could. His gaze finally landed on Dumbledore who was still pointing his wand at the girl.
"Professor Dumbledore. What's going on?"
"You know perfectly well what's going on!" Snape spat.
"Why have to tied me up?" Cassie asked, still looking at Dumbledore. "He's the one you should've tied up!" She tossed her head in Snape's direction. "He-."
"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"What do you mean? You know me. Cassie. Cassie Wladyslava."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Untie her, Severus."
"What?!" Snape exclaimed, looking at the headmaster as though he older man had lost his senses.
Dumbledore gave Snape a look that told him he was serious. Snape took out his own wand as he made his way to the back of the chair. Quirrell felt the tip of it against Cassie's wrists and then felt the ropes untie themselves.
"I think it would be best if you went to your house." Dumbledore said as he watched Cassie rub her wrists.
"Yes sir."
************** Snape waited until Cassie left before turning on Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, you know I never question your judgment, but-."
"Never?" Dumbledore asked, a curious glint in his eye.
Snape cleared his throat. "Why did you let her go? She's mad!"
"No. She isn't."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, headmaster."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Neither do I. Not yet anyway."
"But why did you let her go?" Snape asked, his teeth clenched, "A few drops of veritaserum would-."
"No. No, I'm afraid even a truth serum as powerful as that would not work. If what I fear is true is true."
*********** Quirrell had little idea that Snape and he were on the same wavelength. In a manner of speaking, that is. He too wondered why Dumbledore had let him, or rather Cassie go.
::Well, I fooled him once.::
He did not go back to Slytherin as Cassie had been instructed, but turned left where he should've turned right, walked up two flights of stairs, and found himself by the hospital wing.
::Perhaps I'll pay Potter a visit.::
He was just about to reach the door when.
"Hey! Cassie!"
Quirrell clenched Cassie's fists. It was that damnable Grace! But he could hear other footsteps too. There was someone else with her. He turned Cassie's body slowly.
Just as he thought: It was Grace and Wendy, another friend of Cassie's from Ravenclaw.
"What do you two want?" They heard Cassie ask, venom in her voice.
"Umm.We got our exam scores back." Grace said, now more cautiously.
Quirrell snatched the paper Grace was holding out to Cassie and stuffed it in one of her pockets.
"Aren't you even interested in-."
"NO!" Quirrell spat "Now, if you'll excuse me."
He made to push past them, but Grace stopped Cassie.
"Wait. What were you doing over here?"
"That's none of your business! Now! Get. Out. Of. My. Way!"
"No!" Grace said, defiantly. Her and Wendy now blocked Cassie's only path.
Cassie's wand was still in Snape's office, but he didn't need it. He merely raised Cassie's hand and the two girls found themselves flying backwards down the hallway. They at last hit the far wall, slid to the floor, and a moment later found them selves under a tapestry that had been hanging above them.
Wendy was the first to get free, and watched as Cassie.if that was Cassie.as she walked swiftly down another hallway and away from sight.
"I didn't want to believe you." Wendy said, almost distantly.
"Huh?" Grace said, coming out from under the tapestry.
"About Cassie. But it's true.Oh God, Grace! What's going on?"
**********